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DUKE "FIRST SUMMER" QUESTION ACTIVATES LOTS OF ALUMNI
By MAX LEISTEN
We’re pretty good (we think) at assessing what question will get a response from alumni. A great introduction is crucial, a clear “ask” that is easy to respond to, and of course a bit of anxiety and gratitude to close out.
But there are meaningful nuances that often surprise us, and here’s one that fits the bill. A Duke freshman (future lawyer) asked about her first Summer, and got an overwhelming response.
I don’t know what to attribute this to, but suspect that of all the meaningful college memories we have, the first Summer is a big one. Your first search, first job, first “what will I do with my life” that hits you. I also believe that the path from engineering student to law really resonated with alumni that had done the same thing.
Since we look at questions through the lens of “activation” the performance was stunning:
- 35 relevant alumni contacted
- 22 opened the email (62%)
- 13 clicked on the question (37%)
- 11 assisted the student (31%)
- 8 of 11 had their first engagement (23%)
That last bullet is the most important one. We focus foremost on those alumni that are un- and under-engaged, to bring them back “into the fold” through impactful micro volunteering. I think we did that quite well here.
Keep it simple!
Max
Keep it simple!
Max
The "ask"
I am a freshman from CITY, Florida majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I have entertained the idea of attending law school after undergrad.
How did you spend your summers while attending Duke? I have been looking around for internships and programs, but am worried that I won’t be able to land something my first year. I am just looking for some ideas to be productive during the time away from my studies.
Thank you in advance for your help! I’m so excited to be refocusing my skills and efforts towards work I find engaging and meaningful. Your guidance means a lot to me.
The "give" (1 of 11)
I am so glad you reached out! I was a BME/ME at Duke who ended up becoming a law professor, so I can certainly understand your thinking about law school after Duke.
Of course if you ever have questions about law school in particular, especially from the perspective of an undergraduate engineering student, I am happy to chat more about that. You can reach me via email at email@institution.edu.
As for your question about your first undergraduate summer, I was a greenskeeper my first summer, so from my perspective there is no huge rush to find something career-related. I spent my remaining summers working for a chemical company. That gave me great insight into my feelings about becoming a bench scientist (it was not for me), but it still took me several years to fully take the hint. The point of all this is to frame the question as an experiment (I counsel my law students to think about their career planning this way also). Make a decision during the first part of your spring semester about what you think you want to do when you graduate (note: you do NOT have to correct about this or even particularly confident – anything greater than 50% certainty will do – you are just trying to collect data about what you like ). Then find some way to learn more about what you think you want to be (take classes, volunteer, or (ideally) get a job in a relevant field).
Don’t worry if it is not super prestigious – the point is to get as close to your predicted career as soon as possible and then pay close attention to what you do and do not like about that chosen profession. Collect data on which tasks you think are appealing (and not), and then use that information to adjust your initial choice. If you are right the first time, great. If not, apply what you learned to make a better one next time.
Hope this helps. if you want to talk more let me know.